1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for locally puncturing skin, especially for applying permanent make-up or a tattoo.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A device of the kind in question is known, for instance, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,530 B2. With this known device a needle is guided in a housing so as to be movable between an extended position in which the tip of the needle lies outside of an aperture in the housing and a retracted position in which the tip of the needle is located inside the housing. By repetitive forward and backward movements, shifting the needle between the extended and retracted positions, the needle repeatedly penetrates the skin and is subsequently withdrawn again from the same. A medium for application in liquid form thus may be introduced into the skin. When the known device is used for applying permanent make-up or for tattooing coloring matter is introduced into the skin. The coloring matter either may be applied by immersing a tip of the housing in a reservoir of coloring matter whereby the coloring matter will become distributed along the needle, perhaps all the way into the housing. Operating the device will allow the coloring matter to get into the punctured skin region. Alternatively, or in addition, a container filled with coloring mater may be disposed at the housing of the device to assure replenishing of coloring matter in the interior of the housing and in contact with the reciprocating needle.
In the known device, the needle is driven forward by a drive means which includes a motor. The housing together with the needle guided by it may be implemented as a separate module adapted to be coupled to and detached from the drive means. But the housing and the guided needle and the drive means also may be integrated in a single device. Likewise known are devices which allow the needle to be removed from the housing.
The housing of the known device includes a diaphragm made of an elastically extensible material to prevent liquid, both coloring matter and any body fluid released when the skin is punctured, from reaching the zone where the drive means is coupled or even getting into the drive means itself. The diaphragm separates a front-end space in the housing at a front surface of the diaphragm from a rear-end space in the housing at a back side of the diaphragm. The diaphragm establishes a tight seal between the two spaces inside the housing. The above mentioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,530 B2 describes embodiments with the needle extending through a breakthrough in the diaphragm and being surrounded in the region of the breakthrough by a sealing lip. When being shifted between the extended and retracted positions, the needle thus slips in the breakthrough and the sealing lip slides on the needle. Operating the known device for locally puncturing skin causes the needle to move from the retracted position into the extended position by the propelling force of a drive means. The return movement of the needle from the extended position back into the retracted position is accomplished by the force of a helical spring arranged in the housing. This spring force is introduced into the needle through the shaft of the needle.
Also known are devices for local puncturing of skin, especially for applying permanent make-up or a tattoo with which the tip of the needle is not received in the surrounding housing when the needle itself is in its retracted position. Instead the tip still projects outwardly.